St Peter's Catholic Primary School, Winchester

Inspection of St Peter’s Catholic Primary School, Winchester Oliver’s Battery Road North, Winchester, Hampshire SO22 4JB

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 14 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 21 and 22 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

At St Peter’s, children learn and grow in a happy, secure and nurturing environment. Parents enthuse about how inclusive the school is and value how it welcomes and celebrates children from all faiths and backgrounds. Pupils love coming to school, delight in their learning, and they achieve well. They told inspectors that it is easy to make friends here. Asked if there was anything that could make their school even better, one Year 6 pupil replied, ‘The only thing would be if the classrooms were bigger, then even more children could benefit from being here!’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Passionate and inspiring senior leadership underpins the shared ambition and high standards achieved. As they progress through the school, pupils respond to teachers’ high expectations and immerse themselves into all that the school offers. They are supported to gain confidence and become more independent learners, well prepared for their next stages of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know each child as an individual, nurturing warm and trusting relationships so that they feel safe and secure. Should any unkindness or bullying occur, leaders take swift and effective action. Pupils show genuine empathy and respect for their peers. They trust staff to resolve any worries they may have.

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better?

The governors, headteacher and her senior team share a clear vision for the school and have driven forward many improvements. One parent spoke for many when they said, ‘Under the headship of Miss Buxton, the staff seem more enthused and motivated, and there is a lovely atmosphere in the school.’

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better?

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum for all pupils from early years through to Year 6. Staff benefit from training, support from the local authority and working with other schools to boost their subject knowledge. Improved planning identifies the key concepts and skills that pupils need to know and how these build upon their prior learning. This work has improved pupils’ knowledge and achievement. Teachers are engaging with approaches to improve learning for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, in some subjects, such as science and design and technology, further refinements to teachers’ planning are either ongoing or needed. In addition, in some year groups, further enhancements to teaching are required across subjects to ensure that all pupils learn as well as they could.

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better?

Children attending the school’s Little Fishes Pre-school make a strong start to their education. Leaders provide a curriculum in early years that is well designed and sequenced. In Nursery and Reception classes, adults typically promote children’s curiosity and engagement well. Recent investment has improved the facilities so that children benefit from a learning environment that offers a stimulating range of activities. Leaders flexibly adapt this provision to meet the needs of children with 21 and 22 March 2023

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SEND well. Staff provide high-quality activities to promote children’s physical, social and emotional development and their communication and language skills very effectively.

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Last year, leaders reinvigorated the teaching of reading by introducing a new scheme for phonics. Staff access regular training to help them deliver this and to assess pupils’ reading skills. Most teaching is precise. Books are carefully matched to the programme so that pupils practise the sounds they have been taught. Pupils who need additional help with their reading receive bespoke support. Teachers and pupils clearly share a love of reading. Pupils delight in recalling their favourite stories and authors. Over time, pupils become fluent readers and develop a rich vocabulary.

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Leaders nurture pupils’ all-round development very well. The teaching of music is a particular strength of the school, and a love of music is fostered across all years. Staff care deeply about pupils’ well-being. Pupils are supported to broaden their interests through extra-curricular clubs, trips, charity fundraising and community events. The diocese has helpfully supported leaders to adopt a new personal, social and health education curriculum recently. Senior leaders have an accurate view of the strengths of their current provision and aspects that could be refined still further.

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Pupils’ behaviour is typically impressive. Leaders work hard with families to maintain high levels of attendance. Pupils socialise well and play happily at breaktimes. They move around the school sensibly and are polite to visitors. Pupils really value the school’s golden rules and the rewards and routines. Any disruption is rare. Pupils show empathy and respect for each other and to different members of their community. They develop a broad range of knowledge, together with self-confidence as learners, which equips them well for future learning and success.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors ensure that safer recruitment practices are meticulously followed. Leaders promote a culture of vigilance at St Peter’s and ensure adults are alert to any signs that a pupil may be at risk. All staff are kept well informed through regular training and updates.

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Safeguarding

Well-managed systems are used to record and share any concerns that staff may have about pupils. Safeguarding leaders swiftly seek support from external agencies, challenging, when necessary, to ensure that pupils and their families can access the help they need. Pupils say they feel safe here and know that there are trusted adults to turn to should they need help.

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 In some foundation subjects, leaders are still honing their curriculum plans so that knowledge is taught in a more coherent sequence. As a result, pupils do not always gain the depth and range of knowledge that they could. Subject leaders should continue with this work so that pupils achieve consistently in line with senior leaders’ high ambitions.  Some teachers are less confident to adapt their teaching in some areas of the curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils effectively. Consequently, the pace of learning can slow down, or occasionally a minority of pupils can go off task. Leaders need to ensure that all teachers know how to skilfully support all pupils, including those with SEND, in line with the best examples in school.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 21 and 22 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10242338 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stpetershants.co.uk Date of previous inspection 12 and 13 March 2009, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been changes to leadership and staffing in recent years. The headteacher was initially seconded to act as interim headteacher in 2018 and returned as substantive headteacher from January 2020.  The school has nursery provision in the onsite Little Fishes Pre-school. There are currently 41 children aged between two- and four-years old attending.  The school does not currently make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with school leaders, staff, the chair and members of the governing body and representatives from the local authority and diocese. Meetings were 21 and 22 March 2023

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held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, subject leaders, special educational needs coordinator and other members of teaching and support staff.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those relating to behaviour, attendance, governance and leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for improvement.  Deep dives were conducted in early reading, mathematics, science and music. As part of these, inspectors met with subject leaders, reviewed curriculum plans, visited lessons and talked to pupils about their work.  Inspectors also considered leaders’ curriculum planning and spoke to pupils about their work in history, geography and English.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in the early years. They visited Reception classes and the school’s ‘Little Fishes’ pre-school provision to understand how curriculum plans were being implemented.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils to discuss their views about many

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different aspects of their school and to talk about their work. Inspectors also held informal conversations with pupils at break and lunchtime.  The views of pupils, parents and staff represented in meetings and the responses to Ofsted surveys were considered.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s policies and practices and met with safeguarding leaders to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding. Records of safeguarding incidents were scrutinised and discussed. Inspectors also reviewed the school’s records of the recruitment checks made on adults working in the school.

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Inspection team

Matthew Newberry, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ian Howie Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 March 2023

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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